The present invention relates to the collection and storage of information pertaining to processing of biological samples.
Devices and computer systems for forming and using arrays of materials on a substrate are known. For example, PCT application WO92/10588, incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, describes techniques for sequencing or sequence checking nucleic acids and other materials. Arrays for performing these operations may be formed in arrays according to the methods of, for example, the pioneering techniques disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,854 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,639, both incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
According to one aspect of the techniques described therein, an array of nucleic acid probes is fabricated at known locations on a chip or substrate. A fluorescently labeled nucleic acid is then brought into contact with the chip and a scanner generates an image file indicating the locations where the labeled nucleic acids bound to the chip. Based upon the identities of the probes at these locations, it becomes possible to extract information such as the monomer sequence of DNA or RNA. Such systems have been used to form, for example, arrays of DNA that may be used to study and detect mutations relevant to cystic fibrosis, the P53 gene (relevant to certain cancers), HIV, and other genetic characteristics.
Computer-aided techniques for monitoring gene expression using such arrays of probes have also been developed as disclosed in EP Pub No. 0848067 and PCT publication No. WO 97/10365, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. Many disease states are characterized by differences in the expression levels of various genes either through changes in the copy number of the genetic DNA or through changes in levels of transcription (e.g., through control of initiation, provision of RNA precursors, RNA processing, etc.) of particular genes. For example, losses and gains of genetic material play an important role in malignant transformation and progression. Furthermore, changes in the expression (transcription) levels of particular genes (e.g., oncogenes or tumor suppressors), serve as signposts for the presence and progression of various cancers.
These computer-aided techniques for sequencing and expression monitoring are themselves multi-stage processes including, e.g., stages of selecting sequences, overall chip layout, mask design, probe synthesis, sample preparation, application of samples to chips, scanning of samples, and analysis of scanning results. For each stage, there is associated control information that determines in some way how the processing of the stage is performed. For many stages, there is also result information generated during the stage. Processing at one stage may depend on control information or result information from a previous stage. Thus, there is a need to organize all of the relevant information for convenient access and retrieval.
Many of the contemplated applications of probe array chips involve performing all of the various stages on a very large scale. For example, consider surveying a large population of human subjects to discover oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes relevant to a particular form of cancer. Large numbers of samples must be collected and processed. Information about the sample donors and sample preparation condition should be maintained to facilitate later analysis. The probe array chips will have associated layout information. Each chip will be processed with samples and scanned individually. Each chip will thus have its own scanning results. Finally, the scanning results will be interpreted and analyzed for many subjects in an effort to identify the oncogenes and tumor suppressors. The quantity of information to store and correlate is vast. Compounding the information management problem, equipment and other laboratory resources may be shared with other projects. A single laboratory may service many clients, each client in turn requesting completion of multiple projects. What is needed is a system and method suitable for storing and organizing large quantities of information used in conjunction with probe array chips.